Bennett Stirtz scored 27 points and No. 25 Iowa held off a second-half comeback attempt by UCLA for a 74-61 win on Saturday. The Hawkeyes (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) led by as many as 24 points in the first half and 20 points early in the second half before the Bruins (10-4, 2-1) stormed back. UCLA went on an 18-2 run early in the second half and closed within 61-57 with 3:13 remaining before Iowa pulled away.
UCLA’s second-half surge can’t erase ‘unbelievably soft’ start in loss to No. 25 Iowa
Donovan Dent finishes with 25 points, but UCLA can't complete a comeback from an 18-point halftime deficit in a 74-61 loss to No. 25 Iowa.
Former Flyers Defenseman Dubiously Suspended After Trade
Former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula has been suspended by the Pittsburgh Penguins organization before spending a single second on the ice for his new club.
On Saturday, the AHL transactions log reflected a new entry showing that Zamula, 25, had been suspended by the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
The ex-Flyers defender has yet to appear in a single game since being traded by Philadelphia on Dec. 31 and is currently believed to be refusing to report to the Penguins.
Zamula was officially registered as a Wilkes-Barre player the same day of the trade, per the transactions log.
Update: according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Zamula was suspended for failure to report.
It is worth noting that the formerly undrafted Russian recently switched agents and began being represented by Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, which occurred shortly after the Flyers assigned Zamula to the AHL.
The goal, we can only assume, was to find Zamula an opportunity to play in the NHL, but that is clearly something that was not being afforded by the Penguins right away.
Flyers Defenseman Benched After Struggles, Agent's Criticism of TeamJust two games into the season, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> defenseman Egor Zamula has already been benched for his continued struggles.
Previously, it was reported that Zamula's camp offered a mutual contract termination to the Flyers as a potential solution to the situation, but that the Flyers had preferred a trade for a player to help the organization.
They got that in Phil Tomasino, but it would appear that Zamula and/or Milstein aren't happy with the final outcome of the trade.
Earlier in the season, Penguins prospect Emil Pieniniemi had also been suspended after refusing to report to the ECHL Wheeling Nailers, though that suspension has been since lifted.
The 25-year-old Zamula has one year remaining on his contract at a $1.7 million cap hit and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Stanford beats No. 13 Louisville, gets first ranked win in Kyle Smith era
Stanford earned an 80-76 win against No. 13 Louisville on Jan. 2. Here's how it happened
Sabres' Win Streak Ends At 10, But Now It's On Buffalo To Shake Off Loss And Start A New Win Streak
We knew a loss for the Buffalo Sabres was coming – the Sabres weren’t going to win their final 53 games of the NHL’s current regular-season, and they fell to the last-place-in-the-Eastern-Conference Columbus Blue Jackets by a 5-1 score on Saturday. But Buffalo’s 10-game winning streak has only gotten them back in the Stanley Cup playoff conversation, as their 11-14-4 start to the season dug them a considerable hole to claw their way out from.
And even now, after winning ten straight, the Sabres (a) are not in a playoff position, and (b) they’re only four standings points ahead of the Blue Jackets. This tells you all you need to know about the overall parity/mediocrity in the league, but it also tells you that the ultimate judgement on the Sabres’ season will be in how they respond to their loss in their latest game.
If the Sabres suddenly swing the other way on a five-or-six-game losing streak, they’ll almost assuredly be back in the Eastern basement again, and all this goodwill they’ve built up between the start of the 10-game win streak back on Dec. 9 will melt away in the heat of fan resentment. However, if they bounce back, not only could they catch the third-place Montreal Canadiens (who are only four points ahead of Buffalo), but the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning (five points ahead of the Sabres) and first-place Detroit Red Wings (six points ahead of Buffalo) are also realistic targets for the Sabres.
So it’s not how the streak ended that’s the issue. It’s the response Buffalo has in their final 42 games that will dictate whether 14 years of fan anger will extend another year, or whether the Sabres can finally get over the hump and give their paying customers the satisfaction they’ve deserved by getting into the playoffs.
In 2026, The Goal For The Sabres Couldn't Be Clearer: It's Playoffs-Or-Bust For BuffaloThe Buffalo Sabres ended the calendar year 2025 on a high. But in 2026, Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has to do everything in his power to get his team into the Stanley Cup playoffs and end Buffalo's 14-year playoff drought. And that means going all-in by or before the trade deadline.As we’ve argued, Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen should be going all-in on a playoff spot this season. And the good news is that the slate is now clean after this 10-game win streak. There’s no more deficit to worry about. The opportunity is there for the taking for the Sabres, and their next game – on Tuesday, against the lowly Vancouver Canucks – is one they absolutely have to win, less the worrywarts in Buffalo’s fan base have more material to dwell on.
The Sabres’ 10-game streak gave Sabres fans legitimate hope that this team may at long last be different. Now it’s on Buffalo to demonstrate they can shake off a one-off, keep their eyes on the prize, and put together win streaks on the regular the rest of the way this year.
Acuff scores 29 points to lead No. 18 Arkansas to a 86-75 win over No. 19 Tennessee
Freshman Darius Acuff Jr. scored a career-high 29 points, including a key 3-pointer with just over two minutes left in the second half.
Steph Curry, Warriors respond again with win after another early Draymond exit
Steph Curry, Warriors respond again with win after another early Draymond exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – There’s a trend surrounding the Warriors that’s starting to become more noticeable than their fondness for turnovers.
With two minutes and 25 seconds remaining in the first half and the Warriors struggling in a frustrating second quarter, Draymond Green received two quick technical fouls for an automatic ejection.
Green was loud with his voice and his hands towards umpire Simone Jelks as Kyle Filipowski, whom Green was defending, clearly camped in the paint beyond the allowed three seconds. That resulted in his first tech.
As Green turned his attention to Jelks, Lauri Markkanen went right past him for a dunk.
Then came the second tech as Green turned his attention towards referee Kevin Cutler, who nearly instantly felt a verbal line was crossed, sending the 35-year-old back to the Warriors’ locker room for the rest of the game. The Warriors’ response on the court was just as immediate.
Markkanen made both free throws from Green’s two techs, giving the Jazz a four-point swing and a 12-0 run. They led 60-48 after the two free throws. But whether it was a fire lit inside them or something else, the Warriors outscored the Jazz 10-5 to end the half and by 21 points the rest of the game for a 123-114 win.
Collectively, the Warriors didn’t agree with Green being tossed so quickly. And they won’t lean into the notion that the team is better without him.
“Nah, hell nah. That ain’t the formula,” Jimmy Butler said. “No, no, no, no, no. We need Two-Three out there. When you’re a man down, you got to pick up everything. It’s generally hard to cover up what he does on both sides of the floor. …It’s so hard to do what he does. But it’s a collective effort when he’s not out there.”
“I can tell you this: You look at Draymond’s career and he’s on the plus side in a massive way over and over again,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr added.
Nobody can take away Green’s accomplishments in a Golden State jersey. He’s a four-time champion, a future Hall of Famer, one of the most unique players in NBA history and only a handful of guys historically can be mentioned in the same breath as him defensively.
The numbers, especially over the last month, also unveil a different picture of the current version of Green and the Warriors as a whole.
Kerr used 11 players Saturday night, and only three had a negative plus/minus. De’Anthony Melton was a minus-3 in 25 minutes off the bench, but he stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, three 3-pointers, two assists and two steals. Rookie Will Richard was a minus-1 over 18 minutes in reserve. Both were in the positive in the second half sans Green.
In 12 minutes before his ejection, Green was a minus-15. Since Dec. 1, he has produced a positive plus/minus twice in 11 games – once against the 12-win Charlotte Hornets, and once against the 10-win Brooklyn Nets. Overall, he now is a minus-65 in that month-long span.
Green, in his last seven games, has been ejected twice and left the bench early in another. He hasn’t finished three of his last four home games at Chase Center. The Warriors responded to his ejection against the Phoenix Suns and were a plus-16 without him. They then outscored the Orlando Magic by 28 points after his incident with Kerr on the bench.
Wins for the Warriors followed both times, as well as Saturday night against the Jazz.
The saving grace one night after a 37-point trouncing from the Oklahoma City Thunder was Steph Curry’s 20-point third quarter, which also was without his running mate of the last 14 years. Curry went into the half with nine points on 2-of-7 shooting and then reeled off his latest vintage third-quarter flurry to the tune of 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 4 of 6 on threes and was a plus-11 in 11-plus minutes to give the Warriors a four-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Fans were in for a treat during that stretch. Curry pulled off both his signature look-away 3-pointer with the ball in the air in the third quarter, as well as yet another triple nearly from the logo.
Trying to get him to pick between the two was like asking him to choose a favorite of his four children.
“They’re both great,” Curry said, before repeating the same answer behind a smile. “They’re both great.”
Still serving a show on a nightly basis, Curry’s longtime coach knows where the credit belongs.
No plays need to be drawn up. Advice would be a laughing matter. Watch him let it fly and reap the rewards.
“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t my play calls or anything. It was just Steph,” Kerr said. “That’s how good he is.
“But again, everything felt right in the second half. The spirit, the energy, the level of competitive fight. You’re much more likely to make shots when you have that approach.”
The same spirit, energy, level of competitive fight and approach must be in conjunction with Green on the floor for the Warriors to ride the momentum they believe they’re building right now. It’s the only way to fight the narrative that matches the numbers, enjoying a win without this trend blossoming into something bigger.
Onetime NBA draft pick James Nnaji of Baylor gets frequent boos in college debut at TCU
James Nnaji, a 2023 NBA draft pick making his college debut for Baylor, was booed when he entered the game at TCU and every time he touched the ball after that. The jeers were loud the couple of times the 7-foot center tried to protest a call, and Baylor coach Scott Drew made sure to get Nnaji out of the game after the 21-year-old Nigerian picked up a fourth foul with 4:42 remaining in the Horned Frogs' 69-63 victory in their Big 12 opener Saturday. Imagine the delight of the TCU fans — and the chagrin of the solid Baylor contingent among them in a meeting of conference rivals with campuses 100 miles apart — if Nnaji had been forced to make the walk to the bench with a fifth foul.
Darryn Peterson gets back on the court, but not for long enough as No. 17 Kansas loses
Darryn Peterson got back on the court for No. 17 Kansas, though couldn't stay long enough to help the Jayhawks get a win. Peterson scored 23 of his 26 points in the first half after missing the last two games. Peterson missed seven games with a hamstring injury in November.
No. 1 Arizona cruises past Utah 97-78 to remain undefeated
Tobe Awaka and Jaden Bradley each scored 18 points and No. 1 Arizona cruised past Utah.
Boopie and the Mustangs: SMU point guard leads the way in win over No. 12 UNC to open ACC play
Boopie and the Mustangs could become quite a hit in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miller had 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting and tied his career high with 12 assists, Washington scored nine of the Mustangs' first 11 points after halftime Saturday to put them ahead to stay after coach Andy Enfield wasn't even sure he would be back on the court, and SMU won its ACC opener 97-83 over the No. 12 Tar Heels.
James Nnaji booed in collegiate debut at Baylor, 2 years after being selected in 2023 NBA Draft
The most controversial player in college basketball got his first minutes at Baylor on Saturday.
Takeaways: Penguins Put Up Defensive Clinic Against Red Wings, Sweep Home-And-Home
The Pittsburgh Penguins won their fourth-straight game on Saturday and did it dominantly.
Like Thursday's game against this very same Detroit Red Wings team (a 4-3 win for the Penguins), they started quickly, thanks to Bryan Rust. Sidney Crosby delivered an outrageous pass to Rust, who sniped the puck past John Gibson for a 1-0 lead.
Bryan Rust opens the scoring with his eighth point in his last six games! 👏
— NHL (@NHL) January 3, 2026
📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/8yCAqBEQ7f
Yegor Chinakhov, freshly acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, made it 2-0 on a breakaway later in the period. Ben Kindel delivered an outstanding stretch pass to Chinakhov, who was all alone at the Red Wings' blue line, and he showed off his quick release to record his first goal as a Penguin.
KINDY TO CHINNY! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4GmcIZqFaJ
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 3, 2026
Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar added empty-net goals late in the third period to make it 4-1, sealing the win. Crosby and Parker Wotherspoon led the team with two points (both assists). Stuart Skinner finished with 11 saves and has now won his last two starts.
Here are some other takeaways from this win:
- This was an absolute defensive clinic from the Penguins, particularly in the third period. Nursing a 2-1 lead, the Penguins didn't let the Red Wings get any quality looks and suffocated them as they were trying to break out of their own zone. The Red Wings couldn't even complete two passes in a row for most of the period due to how stingy the Penguins were being.
They held the Red Wings to only 12 shots, which is the fewest ever shots allowed in a road game in franchise history. The previous record was 13 shots. The Penguins also didn't allow a single high-danger chance against at 5v5 for the final two periods of the game.
Pens have played 2,269 road games in their history, and today did something they had never done before (allow just 12 shots). Wow.
— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) January 3, 2026
The lone Red Wings goal was the result of bad luck after a dominant shift in the offensive zone. Alex DeBrincat got the Red Wings back in it, but it wasn't enough. This defensive performance reminded me a lot of the 2016 Penguins, which is saying something since that group was always lights out in the third period.
- I know the process hasn't always been there for Bryan Rust this season, but he continues to produce. With his goal on Saturday, he now has 16 goals and 36 points in 38 games. It's also his fourth goal in his last five games. He finished last season with 31 goals and 65 points and is on pace to break both of those numbers this year.
- Ben Kindel had another great game on Saturday, and his growth continues to be such a big storyline this season. Outside of his great assist on Chinakhov's goal, he was living in the offensive zone and forced a couple of really nice turnovers. He was also great in his own zone and in transition, and continues to display his elite hockey IQ each shift. It's sometimes hard to remember that he's still only 18 because everything looks so comfortable for him.
Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell Named To Team Sweden Olympic RosterTwo Pittsburgh Penguins players have been called to Team Sweden for the Olympics. - The second defensive pair of Brett Kulak and Kris Letang was good on Thursday and continued that momentum into Saturday's game. Kulak has helped stabilize Letang a little bit these last two games and has made all the right reads in his own zone. He had a few plays on Saturday when he was so calm, skating the puck out of his own zone under pressure.
Letang was also good for a second game in a row after scoring Thursday's overtime winner. Yes, he was caught during DeBrincat's goal, but aside from that, he made the right decisions in the offensive zone and was competent defensively. It's nice to see him playing a bit more confidently, given his struggles for a good chunk of the year.
- The fourth line of Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari continues to be a problem for other teams. I love the way those three work in tandem and wear opposing players down below the dots in the offensive zone. That line finished +2 in scoring chances and +1 in shot attempts at 5v5 on Saturday. As I wrote last week, it can't be understated how much Lizotte's return has meant to the team.
- Speaking of Lizotte's return, he really helped the penalty kill on Saturday, killing off both Red Wings power plays. He makes such a massive difference to that unit because he's such a puck-hound and wins those battles along the boards, leading to clears. The rest of the penalty killers feed off his presence each time he's out there.
- Next up for the Penguins is a date with the Blue Jackets on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. This will be the third meeting between the two teams this season and the first since Nov. 28, when the Penguins won 4-3 in overtime. The Blue Jackets won the other game between the two teams 5-4 in a shootout back on Oct. 25.
(Data via Natural Stat Trick).
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Pistons' starters Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris to miss several games with injuries
The East leading Detroit Pistons will be without two key starters for at least the next week.
Center Jalen Duren, who is playing at an All-Star level this season, has suffered a right ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in one week, the team announced. Duren has taken a big step forward this season, averaging 17.9 points per game on 63.3% shooting and 10.6 rebounds a game.
His absence means to expect more Isaiah Steward and Paul Reed at the five, which is about as good a backup center combo as there is in the league.
Wing Tobias Harris has a left hip sprain that will sideline him and have him re-evaluated in two weeks. Harris is averaging 13.4 points a game and is shooting 33.3% from 3-point range. Sixth man Caris LeVert is day-to-day with right knee inflammation and is not traveling with the team for its game this weekend in Cleveland.
It's a tough week for the Pistons to be without these starters as they face a Cavaliers team that has won three in a row, then the Knicks.
UCF pulls off an 81-75 win against No. 17 Kansas to earn best start since 2010-11
Themus Fulks had 16 points and Jordan Burks scored 14 for UCF, which is off to its best start since 14-0 in 2010-11.